The Water Dog
by Eleanore-Rigby
Summary: Kagome Higurashi led a peaceful life, elbows deep in dirt and growing herbs. Her heart was solidly planted there as well, or so she thought. An accidental glimpse of the magic dwelling at the edge of the ocean tipped the scales and stole the heart she thought was so safely protected.
1. Chapter 1

The Water Dog

Chapter 1

* * *

As a general rule, a gardeners favorite color is usually green. Green is the color of life and the color of health. Everything new and good tends to be one shade of green or another. If you'd like to know exactly what shade of green is a particular gardeners favorite, just look at their thumbs. The more talented the gardener, the greener those thumbs are going to be.

Kagome Higurashi followed many rules of thumb in her garden, all of them good, most of them green, but she wasn't so sure that her thumbs were any shade of green after all.

She used to be quite set on a nice, warm shade of brown. This is because to her logic, for things to be green, they first need to be brown. Without brown, no green is able to grow or live or be. At the very least, she was always covered in it. She loved all the shades she saw in the wet dirt smudged on her face and smeared across the seat of her red hakama, or caked in her hair and underneath her fingernails…

There was always dirt under her fingernails.

Brown was definitely rich and familiar, a fine color for a gardeners thumbs (and fingernails) to be, but now? Now she was pondering the value of blue. Specifically, the unfathomably pure blue that danced behind her eyes and through her soul ever since that night she happened to be in the right place at the most perfect time.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that what she saw had been magic. As a priestess in a shrine, she was no stranger to the push and pull of energies between the gifted Mikos but this was a different thing entirely. It was big, bright, beautiful and the loveliest shade of blue she had ever seen- still saw every time she closed her eyes, dancing on the water as only magic can.

Somehow Kagome knew she had to keep it secret, so she had been guarding it closely for two weeks now. The memory was her greatest treasure and it drew her farther and farther away from the garden and closer to the edge of the water than she ever cared to go before. It was a very good thing for her that there was not much distance between the two.

Her unusual home was nothing short of legendary. The Itsukushima Shrine was an ancient, enchanting (and endless) maze of sunlit halls, wooden decks and paper doors all rising from the sand at the edge of the coast, balanced on thick, wooden posts taken from the mountain forest behind them hundreds of years ago. It was a place that was hard to find and even harder to leave.

Besides its incredibly convenient location between forest and ocean, what made it so unusual was the picture it made at high tide. It hung effortlessly over the water, looking for all the world like it was floating on the glassy surface of the sea, an illusion that was especially beautiful on nights when the moon shone its brightest. It was a night just like this, two weeks ago, when Kagome and her dirt covered-self looked out toward the horizon, basked in the light of its magic and met the eyes of its source.

On this night Kagome was up late, as usual, sitting in her favorite spot on the edge of the western walkway, splashing her feet in the reflection of the waning crescent moon. It shined contentedly among the dappled stars. Directly beneath its light, the great torii arch stood tall and proud in the shallows, a stoic guardian against the unknown beyond the horizon. It was her favorite view in the whole world and seeing it was always worth the browbeating she got in the morning when she slept through the first prayers.

The sound of lapping water against the posts and the surf crashing against the sand filled her with peace. Kagome smiled as she soaked up the moonlight on her skin, finally letting drowsiness creep across her spent muscles and tired eyes.

Just as she stretched her arms above her head and opened her mouth wide for a satisfying yawn, a low hum reached her ears. Before she even registered anything unusual about it, it was quickly followed by a blast of sea air that hit her right in the face. A second one pulsed across the water and sprayed her with saltwater. She squeezed her eyes shut against the blast as it scattered her bangs and moistened her skin and she smacked her lips together curiously. It held traces of something else, something more ancient than even the shrine and immeasurably powerful.

Anyone else would have taken that cue to find a place to hide. Anyone else would have listened to the bells ringing in the back of their mind, warning them of danger, that something was about to happen. Something big. Something huge. Kagome was not equipped with any such instinct.

The water beneath her feet was glowing. Her amazement only widened into a smile of pure joy lit by that beautiful, perfect blue.

She could see everything beneath the surface as it all came alive in ways she'd never dreamed...

The hum in the air was vibrating across her skin, giving her new energy. Slowly, it climbed to a higher pitch before finally stretching into a long, lonely howl. The melancholy sound pierced her heart and pulled her eyes to the direction it had come from.

She was just quick enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of something she was sure no one had ever seen before. A dog as white as snow and as big as a bull was looking at her with jarring intensity, sending a chill down her spine all the way to her toes.

It stood on top of the moonlit torii arch as bright as the moonbeams already shining there, like it had been there for centuries.

Kagome's disbelieving and curious stare was locked in its gaze, unable to look away even if she had wanted to. Above its lurid, red eyes she could see a glowing mark on its brow, a crescent moon and a perfect match for the real thing shining directly overhead. It somehow added a regal air to the demonic animal and spoke of the foreboding power she'd felt before.

It blinked those bright, shocking eyes.

Kagome blinked once and then everything was gone. The magic, the light, and the dog. The water was dark and still, just as it was before. She was alone.

She blinked again and finally closed her open mouth. She must have been gaping like a fish the entire time.

Kagome Higurashi, the keeper of the garden, lover of brown and green, did not sleep a wink that night, or for many nights after. The all-too-brief moment of enchantment had tipped her backward, head over heels for the ocean and the precious mystery she'd glimpsed. When she finally did close her eyes she only saw what she had seen- the glow of pure white moonbeams on glossy fur, dazzling red eyes, and that perfect blue. Always blue.

Every morning since then, it took a heroic effort to convince herself that it was real and not just a dream that had seemed so.

An uphill battle, to be sure.

* * *

This idea has been poking me for months and I'm so happy to finally post the first installment.

I was initially inspired by my first viewing of the enchanting "The Shape of Water". It has since come to life and taken a mind of its own, as most things do.

I hope you enjoyed this new beginning and will return to see it continued.

As always, thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

 _It was looking right at her._

 _At least she assumed it was. Kagome honestly couldn't tell for being near-blinded by the light emanating from its gigantic body, shining more like the sun than the gentle moon that hung over the shrine that night. It wasn't too long before her eyes adjusted to the brightness and when they did, a chill ran all the way down to her toes when she saw that she was right._

 _The dog was here and it was watching her._

 _In the quiet water beneath the timeworn structure, hidden from view of the beach among the thick, wooden posts, it sat calmly- closer than she ever dared to dream. Those penetrating eyes studied her closely, unblinking and fiercely intelligent. Funny how she hadn't noticed it the last time, especially from so far away. She noticed it now._

 _At this point, fear should have finally reached out and tightened its grip around her throat, or her arm, or any part of her at all, but as usual all she felt was raw and thrilling anticipation._

 _Kagome could feel her enthralled heart beating wildly out of control._

 _The dog's ears twitched this way and that as it listened to the chaotic rhythm before its red eyes widened in discovery, nostrils flaring, testing the air between them._

 _It blinked, slow and deliberate._

 _Kagome blinked once and instantaneously felt a rush of air and water around her._

 _As the water settled around them once more, all the breath left her body as she suddenly found herself nose to nose with the massive beast- the top of her head barely reaching the crescent moon on its brow. It's awesome presence, close enough to touch, radiated unearthly power and Kagome knew she must be gaping like a fish again_

 _Its hot breath hit her face with each gusty sigh through its flaring nostrils._

 _The dog held her fluttering gaze and then lowered its enormous head to that pounding heart, inhaling deeply once more._

 _Kagome gasped when a large tongue swept across her skin, tasting her pulse at its source._

 _Very quickly, she was also becoming aware of another, more familiar sound around them, filling the quiet space. That same low hum from their previous encounter was ringing her ears while a dark energy she had no name for crackled against her fingertips._

 _The surge of power across her skin raised goosebumps along with a small amount of bravery and she used it to reach out a tentative hand, curious as ever and only trembling a little._

 _The red eyes watched her closely but did not move._

 _Then a tiny, split-second change stopped Kagome's hand in its tracks, so small she almost missed it- just as her fingers were about to brush across the snowy ruff that looked so very soft, Kagome swore… she was absolutely sure she had seen a flash of gold…_

 _She leaned in for a closer look, holding each shaky breath._

 _Suddenly, a shrill cry shattered the connection._

 _"Die, demon!"_

 _A fatal arrow lit with a dangerous light flew across the water and hit its mark with a sickening thud._

 _The most horrible, injured whine echoed against every piling as the dog backed away from Kagome and tossed its head in pain, the tip of the purifying arrow embedded so deeply in its eye that there was no hope of ever pulling it out, burning skin and bone, singeing the white fur from its face._

 _Kagome listened to its cries of pain in abject horror, helpless. Hopeless. Tears of rage and heartbreak filled her eyes. She knew that arrow, that power. She knew that voice too…_

 _Kikyo. The most powerful priestess in the shrine. Her crazed eyes were barely visible in the dying light of the water around them, locked onto Kagome's dog, still writhing in agony. She notched a second arrow and ignited its tip with deadly spiritual purity._

 _Kagome found her voice at last and roared with anger, running at her with all she had._

 _She tried so hard to save it, to stop that last arrow… but she was too late._

* * *

Kagome woke in a shock, covered in sweat and unable to catch her breath in the cold light of morning. She put a hand on her chest and tried to force herself to calm down, definitely at her wit's end with this dream. Or was it a nightmare? Either way, it was hopefully the last in a long line of visions that was only getting worse.

Still, as often as she dreamed of that damned dog, things had never gone this far before.

She gave her cheeks a couple of firm pats to wake up the rest of the way. That's all it was, after all, just another dream.

* * *

That awful dream must have shaken Kagome up more than she thought. The last step of the shrine stared accusingly at Kagome's frozen feet but her legs just wouldn't budge.

Straight ahead and ten feet away, the tallest tree in the forest stood silently, somehow also judging her hesitation without a sound. As a child, that tree had been her best pal and there wasn't a day where she couldn't be found in the safety the branches over the roof of the shrine. It was her favorite hiding place, haven and protector, affectionately crowned with an ancient and holy name- the Goshinboku. Each day found its body and boughs the same as they ever were, towering over the treeline, keeping silent watch over the shrine and shading the mountainside with gentle sanctuary.

The wind rattled its leaves in a chorus of disapproval and Kagome frowned sheepishly. Where was her famous courage? She huffed affectionately and borrowed some from the tree.

Truth be told, her nerves weren't exactly coming out of nowhere and even the Goshinboku would have to admit that. Even the Goshinboku knew that its trunk had become a well-frequented spot for more than just Kagome and her basket- even the Goshinboku knew it was now the favorite watch post of the more… unofficial protector of the Itsukushima Shrine and the very last person Kagome wanted to see today.

The most dangerous priestess for miles around.

Kikyo, the archer.

Kagome hurried past the spot and when the shrine was well behind her, she practically flew up the mountainside, nothing but streaks and flashes of red and white between the leaves.

Thankfully the garden she was heading to was well hidden and far enough away that there was no fear of intrusion from such specifically unwanted parties- Kikyo had probably never been to the spot in her life.

Just a few more steps and a single turn to the right revealed the most precious, hidden clearing of tilled earth, dappled in the mid-morning sun. A handful of dew drops glittered in the light, still clinging to the fresh leaves of the herbs she had arrived to pick. In no time at all the mud covered every inch of her formerly pristine garb, but that was to be expected from someone so prone to that shade of brown.

After what felt like hours of hunching over and pulling plants out of the ground, Kagome stood and stretched, her muscles and bones making a racket as they all popped back into place. She wiped the sweat from her brow and untied her sleeves, smearing even more dirt all over face and fabric alike. Then she squinted up into the sky and sighed, a little discouraged.

All of this golden sun on her face and still all she could do was dream of the moon.

This was it. Her entire day. The boredom might have killed her if not for these dreams getting her by, even the bad ones. More than anything, all she wanted was to somehow catch a flash of blue or red or white somewhere in the shadows behind all of that green. All day her eyes continuously darted between the shadows of the treeline, searching.

She tried one more time to shake her wandering thoughts away and reached down to gather the basket of freshly picked herbs into her arms.

It probably wasn't normal to be filled with such a burning desire for something to be watching her, but this was Kagome. Of course she was. She was still imagining how beautiful that snowy fur would be sparkling in the noonday sun when she actually did meet a pair of eyes and almost jumped out of her skin.

Directly in front of her and almost completely hidden by bushes, two enormous eyes were locked onto her face, as wide as dinner plates. They weren't blue or red or white.

They were green.

Straightening to her full height, basket forgotten, Kagome stood on tiptoe to peek over the branches and leaves at her surprise company. She gasped. Those two enormous eyes belonged to something entirely unexpected and very, very small.

It was a kitsune. A tiny, terribly frightened kitsune covered in as much muck and dirt as she was with brambles, twigs and branches all caught in his hair and threadbare clothes. He made quite a picture tembling in his equally tiny blue hakama.

Kagome took a step closer and two chubby hands with a white-knuckled grip on his tail came into view. Under a shock of red hair, his tear-stained face was scrunched up as he held back a sob. She'd never seen anything more scared than he was in that moment. She'd never seen a kitsune this close to the shrine, either.

One more step closer and she stopped in her tracks when the little thing scrambled away and somehow cornered himself against a tree in his panic.

His voice quavered softly, barely audible around his pouting lip, "P-please don't h-hurt me…"

Kagome's pathetic heart broke into a million tiny pieces- making her voice as warm and even as she could, she corrected him with honeyed softness, "I'm not going to hurt you."

She almost fell back in relief to see a look of surprise flicker across his pallid face quickly followed by surreptitious sniffing as he sifted through her scent.

Another ginger step forward.

"What's your name?"

He sniffled and wiped his nose on a sleeve.

"Shippo."

She smiled warmly at him without a trace of fear, "My name's Kagome."

He nodded and the fear in his own eyes began to fade.

Feeling brave, Kagome ventured further, "Where do you live, Shippo?"

Shippo's face suddenly turned red. His breath caught and just like that, the tears began to fall even harder than before.

It was the last straw for Kagome's already fragile self- control. No one on earth could have stopped her at that point from reaching out and sweeping him into the safety of her arms. It was like holding a small, tense rock. This close, she could see the freckles on his nose and cheeks, as red and rounded as a toddlers, and each hiccupping sob revealed a glimpse of white, baby fangs.

Kagome sat there with him for a long time, all thoughts of dogs and moons finally far away, replaced by the emerald green eyes and russet-colored hair nestled in her embrace. Only when the sun first began to dip back down towards the trees did she realize she was rocking softly back and forth with the sleepy kitsune practically melting into her arms.

He was beyond adorable but Kagome's mind was already full of questions.

Where had he come from? What on earth had he seen…? The poor kit was nothing short of traumatized.

She stood at last, holding Shippo close and, without a thought for the consequences started toward the path to the shrine, passing right by her long forgotten basket. The first thing he needed was definitely food. When was the last time he ate? Finding some for the both of them wouldn't be too hard with everyone heading to evening prayers.

...but after that?

Her mind raced and a strong sense of dread crept over her like a stormcloud. This was no human child she was carrying back to the shrine, after all.

Kagome had never listened to a certain archers warnings of the dangers of youkai but everyone else certainly did.

An exhausted sigh slipped past Shippo's mouth and all of a sudden those pressing matters didn't matter quite as much. They'd just have to wait.

Kagome rubbed an affectionate thumb across the baby-soft cheek of her newest and most welcome secret and smiled, a spring to her step for the first time in weeks. He was only very small, after all. There was no way he'd change things too much. How hard could it be to hide one tiny kitsune in that big old shrine?

She looked down at her new charge, "Let's find you something to eat."

But Shippo was already asleep.

* * *

This chapter gave me a ton of trouble but only because Shippo is more adorable than the words I could find to describe him.

I hope you enjoyed this continuation and will return for more still to come.

As always, thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

"Take that, witch!" A tiny voice yelled, managing to toss one final blast of foxfire at the disgruntled old priestess chasing them from the small kitchen. Behind her, smoke billowed from the doorframe coming from the stove which had exploded into a mixture of more foxfire and ...real fire.

Kagome had grabbed the wayward kit and run for her life, hopefully before sending every living thing for miles around into a panic.

As it turns out, it's actually very hard to hide a kitsune in a shrine.

* * *

Definitely tried getting Kagome to go into more detail but no dice, she's too traumatized from the whole ordeal.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Shippo's nose twitched wildly this way and that, leaning forward as far as far as his reach would allow, peering into the depths of the dry well at the edge of the forest. His tail was twitching too. "You sure this is safe?" he asked Kagome.

She was leaning against the lip of the well right next to him, their shoulders touching, propped up by her elbows with her hands clasped loosely together. She gazed into the darkness at the bottom of the structure, exuding nothing but calm and serenity. "Yeah, I'm sure," she answered.

The well was something very small and inconsequential for a big person but she knew very well that it was endlessly big and scary for a small person, for a child. Shippo was nervous and she didn't blame him.

He found a small pebble and threw it down, waiting to hear the tiny thud against the dirt ground when it hit the bottom. It was a long way down.

"But how do you know it's safe?" he persisted.

"Easy," she assured, straightening up and stretching her arms out. "Remember how I told you I've been at the shrine since I was little?"

Shippo nodded, tail still twitching wildly.

Kagome nodded at the well, "This is where I was. This is where Kaede found me."

The kit blinked in surprise and then shot forward, nose working overtime trying to pick up any small confirmation still living in the wood. He felt that he'd just been trusted with a big secret and would do his best to guard it forever. Like any child, he was full of questions. "How little were you?" he asked.

"Not much bigger than you," she said, suddenly lost in faraway memories. The trees weren't quite so tall then, the underbrush not so thick. The old priestesses were much younger and could stretch their caring fingers farther out in every direction, far enough to pluck a small child from an unexpected place by lowering a trusted herb basket with a strongly tied vine.

No one ventured so far now. None but her.

Kagome came here almost as often as she went up the hill in the opposite direction to her garden and she knew every grain and splinter of the well like they were her own fingerprints. The sound of the ocean was close by in this place too, only hidden from view by a thin veil of trees on the southside of the crowded clearing. The waves crashed loud and violently here against the greater number and greater size of the rocks. There was even a cave that you could find at low tide.

The whole place was overgrown and secret and she'd never been more thankful for it as Shippo helped her choose a strong-looking vine to tie to her own herb basket. The echo and the different perspective were a little disorienting for her but at the same time drove her forward. It was her turn to guard a small, innocent life and guard it she would.

In her mind, there was a repeating, circular mantra of reassurances. No one would find him here, it was too far. No one would see him here, it was too dark. It was late afternoon now, but even when the sun shone directly overhead there was still a shadowy corner or two that remained pitch-black and kitsune-sized. He was safe here.

Shippo climbed onto the basket and stayed obediently still as she lowered him into his hiding place.

He looked up at her with wide, trusting eyes, shining golden-green in the sunset light. "You're gonna come back, right?"

She gave a chiding huff and smiled. "Of course I am. I'll be back with dinner soon and some blankets for the night. Promise."

He nodded, still nervous but trusting, before he was swallowed up by the blessed darkness at the bottom of the well. Out of danger and out sight.

* * *

Somehow, the great foxfire smoke-out had worked in her favor- not one soul had seen the unexpected fur-ball of chaos catapult into her arms as they ran for their lives. What Kagome hadn't escaped was the aftermath. She was now elbow deep in ash and grime, on clean-up duty in the half-destroyed kitchen for the rest of the evening.

The only thing she had to contend with here that was worse than the blackened walls and windows was the grumbling of that old priestess who was their cook, about demon vermin and wicked mischief. Her endless stream of griping was broadcasted at great volumes from the warped oven her head was inside, scrubbing away.

Kagome was wisely keeping well to herself but that didn't mean she couldn't giggle at the old cook's bewilderment. The poor thing was so confused.

"I just don't understand." she groused for the hundredth time, "What was a kitsune doing in the kitchen? A kitsune! Not many of those around these parts, you know. But what was he doing in here?!"

"Maybe he was hungry," Kagome suggested with a chuckle, deeply amused by the raving. She rang out her black and sooty cloth over the bucket of equally black water. She was sure Shippo must be hungry now too.

But her thoughts were interrupted when the cook choked on her own gasp and hit her head on the roof of the oven in her haste to back out of it. She sat back and stared at Kagome with eyes about to jump out of their sockets, the color drained from her usually plump and rosy face.

"Of course!" she whispered as the sudden realization hit her. "'Trying to roast me alive! Make a meal of me! They love human flesh the best, everyone knows that."

Kagome was horrified and instantly filled with bitter regret at opening her big fat mouth. She reached a hand out to steady the older woman's trembling shoulder. "I don't think-"

"Looked death in the eye, I did." She pulled herself up to her feet and immediately started shuffling toward the door, the unintentional damage done. "Got to tell Lady Kikyo about this, yes."

"But-" Kagome scrambled to her feet, trying to catch hold of an arm or an apron string to stop her or even just slow her down, but it was no use. All she could do was stand there in the doorway in her own bewildered shock as the cook waddled away reciting a prayer of thanks for survival, now quite the surprise.

What just happened? What had she _done_?

Kagome sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Why not? she thought dryly. Why not add a psycho with arrows to the mix? Served her right for trying to be funny when there was so much at stake.

At least the kitchen was empty now. She could scavenge a loaf of bread and some dried fish for dinner. It was getting back to Shippo that had become a problem. It wasn't too dangerous before but, thanks to her carelessness, it was now.

* * *

 _I'm posting this without the usual TEN THOUSAND edits I can't stand to go without. The story knows how it wants to be told and I am only the writer, after all._

 _Hope you enjoyed this next chapter and will join for those still to come!_

 _As always, thanks for reading._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

"What do you mean you didn't see anything?"

Kagome fidgeted under Kikyo's unmoving gaze, wildly uncomfortable and ready to bolt. The latter was pointing to the door just a few feet from where they were standing, in front of the room formerly known as the kitchen. She spoke slowly as if addressing a child.

"Kagome, your room is right there."

"And I was in it. Asleep."

"You slept through-"

"It woke me up." Kagome retorted hotly, sick of the condescension, "By the time I registered what was happening, the kitchen was on fire and no one was there but the cook, so unless she did it…"

Kikyo pinched the bridge of her nose, almost exactly as Kagome did in times of extreme exasperation. She sighed. "One more time- The stove exploded. The kitchen was engulfed in a raging inferno of kitsune foxfire. Mao barely escaped with her life but you didn't see anything from your room next door because you were asleep."

Kagome smiled brightly, "That's right!"

* * *

"Kagome!"

The open-mouthed, drooling priestess was pulled from a deep sleep by the tiniest whisper in her ear and two tiny, clawed hands clutching at her shoulder. They were shoving quite insistently.

"Kagome, wake up. Quick!"

She opened her eyes and they went cross, nose to nose with Shippo's bright, expressive face. She could have jumped right out of her skin, first with surprise and then with immediate, scolding worry. "What are you doing here?" she hissed through her teeth.

He had already grabbed her hand and was trying his best to drag her to the door, completely ignoring the question. "Come look! You gotta see this."

Kagome wasn't done scolding. "What if someone sees you. Everyone's gone nuts over here!" Thanks to me, she added silently.

He only tugged more insistently, clear traces of excitement buzzing around him. "Hurry! Come see."

Reluctant but completely charmed and incredibly curious, Kagome lifted her blanket and got out of bed, grabbing a shawl to wrap around herself. She followed Shippo's hopping and jumping out the door and off of the walkway, then onto the grass.

When her bare feet touched the sand and a cooling ocean breeze tickled her cheeks, her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't been out this far since Shippo had exploded into her world. In the exciting moments of the week, both the ones she caused and the ones that simply happened to her, she simply stopped looking out for that magic that made her heart race. The dog that shone brighter than the moon itself.

Tonight there was no moon and the water was dark. That cool, ocean breeze was starting to chill her down to the bones as it whistled over the crunch of sand underfoot and fox paw. Her head stayed down within the warm folds of her handy shawl as she followed the Shippo's tracks to the edge of the water where he had stopped.

"Look!" he exclaimed again.

Kagome peered into the darkness but obviously couldn't see much. She squinted over her crinkled nose and wondered what on earth Shippo was trying to show her, she couldn't tell if anything was even out there.

Shippo impatiently jumped up and perched on her shoulder and pointed firmly just left of where Kagome's eyes were straining.

"There!" he insisted.

Again, she followed his pointing finger and found she could just make out the lines of the tori arch. A tiny grain of hope sprouted in her heart and then quickly died as she scanned the top beam but found nothing.

Then, Shippo slapped both hands on her cheeks and tilted her face down- at the horizon line _under_ the arch. " _There_ ," he whispered.

The mouth between her kitsune squished cheeks fell open and she gasped, finally seeing what he was trying to show her. Barely, just barely, she saw the shape of a man. An inhuman man. His back must have been to them because all they could see was an impressive length of hair that was an eerily familiar shade of white.

"Oh my god…" she breathed. "It's him."

"Who?" Shippo asked, all curiosity and amazement, still shining with excitement.

Kagome shrugged, a little sheepish. "I don't know but I know I've seen him before."

Neither Kagome or Shippo noticed the hum that was vibrating against the arch itself, rippling across the gently rising and falling surface of the water. It was growing louder, shaking the leaves of the trees in the forest behind them with its force. Kagome herself didn't remember the surprise blast of sea air until it was hitting them in the face and she grabbed Shippo from her shoulder to hide him in her arms because she did remember what was coming next.

The light was blinding and perfectly blue.

It lit up Shippo's wonderstruck eyes, the tiny fangs visible in his open mouth and the freckles on cheeks.

They could see everything in the light. The water, the arch and finally the man. The inhuman man. They could see now that he had lowered himself into the water almost up to his shoulders but he was gripping the right beam of the arch with a clawed, white-knuckled grip. Even from her place at the water's edge, she could see the paint chipping and the wood beginning to splinter in his grasp. He was in pain.

The ethereal being then stood, quite abruptly, and shocked his spectators with a complete, disturbing eyeful of the remains of his freshly severed left arm.

Kagome's hand flew to cover Shippo's eyes to shield him from the gore and was glad she did as her own averted eyes followed the incredible length of hair farther down and found that her magic friend was completely naked. The water rose around his hips and then fell again, revealing far more than she needed to see.

"Hey!" Shippo protested, all too loudly. His voice was loud enough to break the spell.

The being jerked his head around, suddenly made aware of his audience, and his expression was not a forgiving one. The wood beneath his claws cracked in warning and a low, threatening growl replaced the gentle hum in the air.

Kagome took the hint.

"We're leaving. Now," she informed her captive as she tightened her grip on him and turned on her heel for the mountain.

To say this rejection was brutal and harsh was the understatement of the century and every ounce of willpower she possessed was currently being put toward not taking it personally. The rest of it was spent on getting her kit out of there in case either of them did something to make things even worse. Any leftover space in her heart after that was filled with relief that the second coming she'd longed for had come and she wasn't alone when it did.

The glow of the water faded behind them but Kagome didn't turn around. At this moment all she wanted to do was quiet Shippo's loud complaints against leaving and preserve whatever magic she could in what she was sure would be a lasting memory, of the wondering face of the kitsune in her arms lit with the blue light she was sure had to be good.

* * *

Hours later, in the dewy, wee hours of the morning, a rough, calloused hand closed around the damp shawl left behind on the sand just before it was taken away by the creeping waves of the tide. The hand, careful of its claws, brought the cloth up to a nose which inhaled deeply of the scents lingering there.

Two eyes narrowed and slid over to the side of the mountain where a clumsy set of tracks disappeared into the brush.

The nose sniffed in contempt, clearing its nostrils and a lip curled derisively.

"Keh…" it said.

* * *

 _Not sure how well I'm handling this many story components but I'm certainly enjoying myself. I've been deeply affected by Anthony Bourdain's death this week so his wry humor is at the forefront of my mind and my writing. It's definitely a wonderful labor of love learning to weave that humor into the senses of urgency, danger, disappointment, excitement and hope I'm trying to create. That being said, I hope you had as much fun as I did with this chapter. I also hope everyone got a good mental eyeful of Sesshoumaru's butt somewhere in there._

 _As always, my deepest thanks for reading._


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

* * *

Shippo woke to the sound of something sniffing and it plunged him into the all too recent memories of his father's final lessons and his own still-developing instincts. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and his tongue suddenly became uncomfortably large and dry in his mouth because he knew, knew very well, that out there in the forest, there was only one reason for anything to be sniffing around in the darkness of the morning and that was to follow a trail. To hunt.

In days still at the surface of his mind, his father would have ventured out to investigate and eliminate whatever threat had sniffed its way to their door. Now, tonight, Kagome wasn't even close enough to hear him if he called out, giving away his position and hastening danger in the same breath. He was alone at the bottom of the well. Vulnerable.

The sound was coming closer now.

Shippo grabbed his bedding and dragged it with him into the darkest corner, hoping that hiding would make whatever was there doubt its own nose. It was a long shot but he was feeling a little desperate.

There came a scratching sound up toward the outer base of the well and the rustling of the leaves on the vines under feverish puffs of breath. Shippo clapped a hand over his mouth and bit his lip, going over his options, though they were few- one, actually. His fight or flight was lighting up his instinct board and flight was out of the question. He couldn't help but think of Kagome's kind face and it gave him courage. He wished he could see her again, if only to thank her properly for all she'd done for him- seeing as this could be his last fight and all.

"Psst. Hey, Kid."

The hoarse whisper hit his jumpy ears, interrupting the adrenaline build-up and Shippo looked up toward the sound, still scared and now confused as well. Silhouetted against the wooden edge of the well's opening he squinted at a head peeking over, topped with… two dog ears. He gasped and clutched the dirt wall as the dog-eared figure suddenly jumped down into the cramped space.

"Geez, kid, calm down. Ain't gonna hurt ya."

A quick sniff confirmed youkai blood in the same canine family. The dog had always been a distant cousin to the fox so Shippo was able to calm considerably and sit down, though still a bit shaky. However, the calm moment was short-lived. In a flash, Shippo found himself scruffed and held at eye-level with the intruder he was no longer afraid of but now incredibly mad at, all of his unspent adrenaline shooting out of every limb waving furiously suspended in mid-air.

"Unhand me, you fiend!"

"Oi! Pipe down!" the fiend commanded and reached into the sleeve of his red haori, pulling out one of Kagome's shawls still covered in sticky sand. Shippo stilled, nose twitching as the intruder asked him, "What can you tell me about this?"

* * *

As soon as Kagome walked into the clearing with her basket of dried fish and bread, a real breakfast treat, a red-haired whirling dervish catapulted into her face. Shippo squished her cheeks with his little hands and bonked their foreheads together.

"I can't stay here anymore, Kagome! It's not safe!"

"Why?!" she asked, sounding as garbled as if she had a mouth full of food.

Shippo looked to his left and then to his right, his vigilant eyes narrowed to slits and arranged himself more secretively on her shoulder, using her hair for extra cover. He cupped both hands around his mouth and over her ears and revealed in a scandalized whisper, "I was discovered!"

"Really?!" she exclaimed. Surprise, more than outrage was the most obvious emotion on Kagome's face and for good reason, the same reason she'd so confidently hid Shippo here in such a secluded spot so close to highly trained mikos. She lifted him from her shoulder and set him down paws first on the wooden edge in front of them, facing her.

"Are you hurt?" she asked first, simultaneously doing her own inspection.

Comforted, Shippo shook his head and relaxed into her ministrations.

"Who found you?" she asked next, curious but sounding appropriately concerned. Her fingers were still casually combing out his knotted bangs.

The question made him shift uncomfortably from one paw to the other and look around the clearing nervously. He didn't answer.

Raising a quizzical eyebrow at his evasion, she asked, "Can you tell me?"

Looking equal parts relieved and guilty, he shook his head furiously, confirming her suspicion. He must have been sworn to secrecy by this unknown third party. His eyes turned up to gaze at her with remorseful anticipation, waiting for the scolding he thought he deserved. Instead, Kagome smiled, enjoying the way he almost fell backwards into the well with relief.

Kagome ventured another, amended question, though she already knew the answer. "Was it Kikyo?"

Shippo tensed but shook his head.

"Good." She nodded affirmatively. "The well still works, then."

Shippos tail twitched in interest. "Still works?" he echoed.

"One of the first things Kaede told me when I was old enough," she told him, "was to come to the well if I was ever in danger. She said there's a spell of protection around it, making sure whoever needs it will come to no harm. It's probably why she found me there in the first place."

"Really?" he asked in wonder.

She nodded again, sitting down next to Shippo. "Really. She said it's a holy and powerful spell. Kikyo will never find you as long as you stay here. She can't sense you!"

Shippo sank down against Kagome's side with a dramatically reassured sigh. "Thank goodness." he breathed.

"Thank goodness." she agreed laughingly, glad she'd buoyed his spirits. Inwardly, though, she was terrified. Someone had found the well. Even if it wasn't Kikyo, no one should be venturing this far out- not from the village and not from the shrine. Who did that leave? No one or thing she had any clue about, that's who.

It's not that she didn't have a full, unshakeable confidence in the well's ability. Kaede took these things very seriously, after all- Kikyo's continued, blessed ignorance of Shippos proximity was proof of that. Still, it was now safer to start looking at alternatives… but how to do that without sending her nervous kit into an unnecessary panic remained a mystery for the moment.

She only had to make one trip into the garden today. She'd do her thinking there.

* * *

Do _we even have other options?_ Kagome thought to herself, trying not to give in to the slight beginning of desperation creeping in like the tide. Shippo had to remain secret if he was going to survive and there were not many places nearby safe enough, or close enough for her to keep a close eye on him. She could count on one hand the places in the area of any value.

There was the village. Obviously out.

The Shrine. Not even close.

There was still the well for the time being. Safe enough from Kikyo but who else was out there?

Her hands worked nervously all the while in her brainstorming, uprooting ripe vegetables, pulling out herbs at the very moment of readiness even in her distraction. Trying to calm the storm coming in her mind, she soaked in the familiar dappling of sunlight on her muddied hands and rolled the moist topsoil between her fingers, admiring the rough and earthy texture. She breathed deeply of the smell of moistened earth. She let her calming colors of green and brown ground her and hopefully calm her enough to find a solution.

The green in the sparkle of the glen, she was starting to notice, was the same shade as Shippo's eyes.

 _Speak of the devil…_ Kagome smirked to herself at a telltale sound coming from the treeline. Safety at the forefront of her mind, she thought of scolding but then thought better. It was safer to be together, after all, so she pretended not to notice the voyeur in the bushes ahead, hiding in the shadows at the edge of the trees. The unexpected but welcome accompaniment cheered her considerably and she hummed a pleasant tune, her tugging and pulling now untroubled.

"I wonder if Shippo would like stewed carrots for dinner?" she said aloud, letting her voice and her smile carry. She went on, "The carrots this year are so big! Perfect for a nice stew!"

Another rustle of branches. The snap of a twig. Was that the growl of a stomach?

Laughing softly, Kagome grabbed the green leaves of what she was sure would be the biggest carrot of the bunch. She tugged first with one hand, still on her hands and knees. It didn't budge. Leaning forward, she tried again with two and was sent flying when her grip slid right off.

Another rattling of leaves and a child's giggle.

Smiling with silly determination, enjoying her own show, she planted her two feet on either side of that carrot and began to tug again. Amid her grunts of effort, she addressed the general area, "I hope- UGH- Shippo- OOF- appreciates this carrot!"

On the last word, the ground opened up and once again Kagome went flying backwards, her woven hat dropping onto her face and the carrot airborne. Beyond her own carefree laughter, she listened for the thump of the landing carrot followed by the thumps of smaller footsteps running for it. She heard them. Pit-pat pit-pat, slap-slap-slap. Funny, it didn't sound like fox paws…

"Shippo?" she called breathlessly, putting her hat to rights. Her eyes fell on her visitor and she exclaimed in true surprise, "Oh!"

For the second time in far too brief a period, a strange, bedraggled child had appeared in the clearing. It was a little girl this time, barely a head taller than Shippo. She was cradling the carrot and looking poised for flight, covered in a generous smearing of dirt and dressed in rags. There was a small ponytail on the side of her head, looking as if it was all the hair she could gather and fix at once by herself. All it took was the one glance to know no one was looking after this girl.

Remembering herself and the look that must be on her face in front what had to be an extremely sensitive child, Kagome hopped to her feet and dusted off the knees of her hakama. Adjusting her hat once more she mustered up the friendliest smile she was capable of and said, "Hello!"

The little girl returned her shining grin and Kagome decided right there that her smile was just as adorable as Shippo's, especially while it was missing three whole teeth.

* * *

Kagome _Higurashi, orphan magnet. Incredibly naive but doing the best she can. I adore her._

 _I'm once again forgoing the customary thousand rounds of edits. I cringed reading the previous chapter but am trying to speed up my turn around time as I face my first venture into original work. I'm terribly sorry for the delay in creating this next chapter. In my house, we are currently spending all of our time watching more classic, foreign and important films than I know what to do with. My inspiration cup doth overflow. My time cup doth not._

 _Any feedback? Welcome. Criticism? Welcome. Critique and/or suggestion? WELCOME._

 _Did you like it? I live for the encouragement and I love you who lovingly share it with me._

 _As always, thank you so much for reading._


End file.
